An inside look at the United States Secret Service, focusing on the
agency's lesser-known yet extremely critical duties.

Type: Documentary

Languages: English

Status: Ended

Runtime: 60 minutes

Premier: 2011-02-20

Secret Service Files - Secret files scandal - Netflix

The Fichenaffäre or Secret files scandal shook public opinion in
Switzerland in 1989. That year, it was revealed that the Swiss federal
authorities, as well as the cantonal police forces, had put in place a
system of mass surveillance of anti-Swiss elements.

Secret Service Files - 2005 trial - Netflix

Left-wing activists had been the object of surveillance by Swiss
authorities since the 20th century. In 2005, a Swiss trade-unionist
indicted for having blocked public transport in Geneva was surprised to
see that the police files contained all of his activities since 1965,
although he had never been indicted before. The court had asked the
police for his file. Rémy Pagani, also a member of the Syndicat des
services publics (SSP, Public Services Trade-Union) and MP for the
Alliance de gauche (Left-wing coalition, a party based in Geneva),
confirmed during the same trial that the file listed his presence in
demonstrations where he had not been arrested, as well as his
participation in the occupation of a building in support of Nelson
Mandela, although he had not been arrested either for this act.
According to Rémy Pagani, Bernard Ziegler, state counsellor in Geneva,
had ensured after the files scandal that only those files containing
information on crimes for which the citizen had been convicted would be
kept. However, the 2005 trial showed that it hadn't been the case.